


Intertwined

by allthehearteyes, caitlesshea



Series: Nothing but Fluff [10]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Loving boyfriends, M/M, Memories, Surprises, supportive family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 10:24:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18547888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthehearteyes/pseuds/allthehearteyes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/caitlesshea/pseuds/caitlesshea
Summary: There’s something going on, but neither Deran or Adrian knows what’s happening.





	Intertwined

**Author's Note:**

> This was written awhile ago, but wanted some art to go with it. I was gifted this gorgeous piece by @theninjazebra [d&a exchange 2019](http://theninjazebra.tumblr.com/image/183959358951). She didn’t know the story, but nailed it. Also, there’s a reference to a sheep, and that’s inspired by [Cody Brothers](http://theninjazebra.tumblr.com/image/181472040251), also by the talented @theninjazebra.
> 
> Workshopped and developed with caitlesshea.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! ❤️
> 
> Find us on Tumblr (same user names)

Adrian and Deran look at each other across the table, silently asking the same thing with their eyes. _What are we doing here?_

It’s weird that Jess asked them to lunch at some hole-in-the-wall place in Encinitas.  There were plenty of great taco shops in Oceanside. Jess is overly chatty and checking her phone every few minutes.  It seems like she’s getting a lot of texts and is pretty distracted. The conversation kind of goes around-and-around, not actually talking about anything.

On their way home, Deran asks, “What was the deal with your sister today?”

Adrian responds, “No clue. She was acting super weird.”

They chat and listen to music most of the way back.  About 5 minutes out from their house Adrian gets a text. 

 **Jess:** _Just so you know, the boys did a little redecorating while we were at lunch.  Luv you!_  

Adrian reads the message out loud to Deran, who rolls his eyes, and huffs, “Shit.  What’d they do now?” 

They pull up to their house and cautiously walk in. There’s nothing obviously out of place or moved. Then Adrian glances at the far wall.  There are several framed pictures of Deran and Adrian hung up in a staggered pattern that hadn’t been there when they left the house earlier.  He grabs Deran’s hand and pulls him toward the wall. They look at each picture, each one a captured moment of them. Memories of their life come roaring back, like the sounds of the sea.   

That time on Spring Break when they were in Mexico, drinking beers and smoking cigarettes. Oddly proud of themselves for being ‘legal’ across the border.  The time at San Onofre, they must have still been teens, when they were goofing around on the beach, covered in sand, and Adrian had Deran in a headlock. Pictures of them at surf competitions, skateboarding, and in the pool at Smurf’s. 

Deran draws Adrian’s attention to a side-by-side picture on the mantle.  One of the pictures is of a young Deran (maybe five years old) holding a stuffed sheep; the other picture is of Adrian (around the same age) holding an identical stuffed sheep.  They both kind of gaze at the pictures in shock. How did they have the same stuffed animal? Pretty random. Pretty amazing.

Adrian sees another picture at the other end of the mantle.  It’s a selfie they took in Belize. He didn’t know anyone knew about it.  Jess must have stolen it off his phone somehow. They are smiling, happy, and totally at ease.  That’s the place where they were truly themselves for the first time, and it was a special memory for them both.  

They meander through the house finding more framed pictures hung on walls, propped on counters, and set on window sills.  It’s fantastic. There are pictures of them laughing and making silly faces throughout the years. Profile pictures of them watching the surf or talking to friends. There’s a slightly blurry picture, likely taken by Lena, with a finger covering part of the lense. It’s of Deran and Adrian playing candyland on the floor. Cute.

The best one, Adrian thinks, is the one in the kitchen.  It’s of them sitting on their boards, bobbing on the waves, and looking out at the ocean.  The picture was taken the year they met, the year their lives became intertwined.

Adrian sends a group text to Jess and the Cody boys.

 **Adrian:** _Thank you guys so much.  This is the best gift. We don’t know what to say._

 **Jess:** _We love you both. <kissy face emoji> _

**J:** _No problem._

 **Pope:** _ <17 heart emojis> _

**Pope:** _..._

 **Pope:** _That was Lena._

 **Pope:** _..._

 **Pope:** _You’re welcome._

 **Craig** : _Happy engagement idiots!_

Deran and Adrian laugh, as they go back through the house looking at the pictures, reminiscing about their history together, and feeling grateful for the gift of one another...and their families.

 


End file.
